I think this is an excellent thread and one that hints at all sorts of other questions.
What disappoints me are the Architects like Rogers praising the aesthetics and ignoring the views of the user. No one is suggesting it would be cheaper to learn lessons and adapt the building than to demolish and meet the needs of the people who have to live there.
Meanwhile Maxwell has moved to Shoreditch (not sure of the age of the building but it’s an old part of town.) Rogers lives in two beautiful fine old houses in Chelsea knocked together. And I met Denys Lasdun circa 1980, at his offices in a 1700’s terrace just off Manchester Square.
Ben, it seems to me the National Theatre is used as the divider. If you love all modern architecture you love it.
Q
Where is the best view of the River in London?
A
The terrace on the National Theatre because it’s the only place you don’t see it from.
(I wish that was my bon mot)
I’m sorry arguing that the wooden impressions into concrete improves it, is the same argument Trump uses for putting waterfalls and fountains behind greens i.e. false.
We need to be very careful what we conserve if we want to continue to improve our built environment.
Mark I was aware SOM had created the first glass curtain building., but I didn’t know much about it. By the time they arrived in London they were a mega firm and the most political place I’ve ever known. Even as a contractor you could feel the tensions. Within 10years they went bust.
The lever Building does throw our debates about restoration into some sort of context. Built in 1951-2 this is what I found on Wikipedia.
[edit] Decline
In 1982, the New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated Lever House as an official landmark. By that time, however, much of Lever House's original brilliance had been dimmed by time. The building's blue-green glass facade deteriorated due to harsh weather conditions and the limitations of the original fabrication and materials. Water seeped behind the stainless steel mullions causing the carbon steel within (and around) the glazing pockets to rust and expand. This corrosion bowed the horizontal mullions and broke most of the spandrel glass panels. By the mid-1990s, only one percent of the original glass remained leaving the once glimmering curtain wall a patchwork of mismatched greenish glass.
In September of 1997, Unilever, Lever Brother's parent, announced it was moving its Lever Brothers division to Greenwich, CT. Following the announcement, Lever Brothers slowly began vacating the building, eventually leaving only Unilever on the top four floors.
[edit] Restoration
In 1998 the property was acquired from Unilever by German-American real estate magnates Aby Rosen and Michael Fuchs. Rosen's firm, RFR Holding LLC, negotiated a lease-back deal allowing Unilever to remain on the top four floors. Immediately following the acquisition, RFR Holding announced a $25 million capital improvement program including a restoration of the building's curtain wall and public spaces as well as repositioning it as a multi-tenant property.
The deteriorated steel subframe was replaced with concealed aluminum glazing channels, a state-of-the-art solution in modern curtain wall technology, which is identical to the original in appearance. All rusted mullions and caps were replaced with new and identical stainless steel mullions and caps. All glass was removed for new panes that are nearly identical to the original, yet meet today's energy codes.
If a Golf Course cost that mush to maintain it would surely cease to exist and another use would be found for it. However it certainly puts into perspective those purists who argue against greens being flattened and tees moved to keep the course relevant
Is it still the Lever Building? Of course. Lessons have been learned and it’s been improved.